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News Article

SFOR Captures Two War Criminals

By Linda D. KozarynAmerican Forces Press Service

BRUSSELS, April 13, 1998  NATO military forces have captured two more Bosnian Serbs indicted for war crimes.

Stabilization forces arrested Miroslav Kvocka and Mladen Radic, close allies of Radovan Karadzic, in the British sector April 8. The international war crimes tribunal has charged both men with running a detention camp, executing Muslim and Croat leaders and dumping their bodies down mine shafts.

The arrest brings to 25 the number of alleged criminals in custody in The Hague, Netherlands; 49 indicted war criminals remain at large.

NATO Secretary General Javier Solana said the stabilization forces encountered the indictees in the course of their duties and detained the two men in accordance with their mission mandate. "SFOR will continue to carry out its mandate firmly and fairly and will not tolerate any behavior by any party contrary to the peace agreement," Solana said.

The action serves as a warning to all indicted war criminals that they, too, will be brought to justice, he said. Solana commended the stabilization forces and their commanders "for their courage, professionalism and dedication in carrying out this action, which will contribute to the continued consolidation of the peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina."